Middle East

The death of King Abdullah, who ruled Saudi Arabia for nearly 10 years has triggered a chorus of praise from many bourgeois government leaders, showing that the hypocrisy of the ruling class, especially in Canada, knows no limits.

A storm of bombs and fire grotesquely denominated “Operation Protective Edge” has been unleashed by the Israeli government on the civilian population of Gaza. Over the last days more than 400 tonnes of high potential bombs have hit targets within the densely populated Gaza Strip, killing at least 100 civilians, including many children, and injuring hundreds.

The spontaneous uprising of the Syrian masses, inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt, has degenerated into a sectarian bloodbath. Deprived of a revolutionary leadership, the hopeful beginnings have been transformed into a tragedy. On the other hand, US imperialism's hypocritical and bellicose zig-zags are a complete and utter farce, and graphically illustrate the limits of US power. Long accustomed to getting its way with no questions asked, Obama’s handling of the Syria situation has exposed the new balance of forces on a world scale. While still the preeminent imperialist power, the dream of a “Pax Americana” under US auspices has been reduced to rubble, with far-reaching implications.

The war drums in Washington are beating their macabre tune loud, announcing an imminent US attack on Syria. In the UK, the faithful squire, prime minister David Cameron, is willingly echoing the call. The British Parliament is expected to back the military option in an emergency meeting convened for 29th August. Direct imperialist intervention marks a fundamental change in the situation in Syria after the spiralling sectarian civil war had wiped away the revolutionary potential of the anti-regime protests, which were sparked in January 2011 by the events of the Arab Spring.

Less than a year ago, “King Bibi”, as the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had become known, had an almost absolute majority in the polls and all other parties, one after another, were entering into crisis. The recent elections show a very different picture: polarization to the right and the left.